Dispensing homeopathic pills. Homeopathic pills being poured from a tube into a plastic container. A rack of medication is seen at top right, with a homeopathy textbook at centre. Homeopathic remedies are intended to cure the symptoms of an illness by administering tiny doses of substances which cause the same symptoms. Homeopathic substances are prepared from plant, mineral, animal or other biological sources. Homeopathy, founded by Samuel Hahnemann in 1811, is subject to criticism. It is gaining some acceptance, though, as it requires the doctor to treat the patient as a whole rather than just the specific illness observed.